Fashion

How to pack for a city sightseeing trip

Fashion

How to pack for a city sightseeing trip

Almost no one likes packing, or so I hear. I, on the other hand, have mastered how to pack for weekend and weeklong getaways after years of trekking between divorced parents. I can pack in 30 minutes flat, exactly 30 minutes before I have to leave for the airport. Like I said, I’m a master.

If I was going on a weeklong sightseeing trip to a large city—say, New York, Paris or Vancouver—here are the clothes and accessories I would pack. Unless you’re a toiletry fiend, you should be able to fit all of them in a small suitcase and a carry-on tote.

In terms of colour palette, I would choose neutral hues (a mix of white, black, tan and denim). I would then add one accent colour; for these outfits, I chose red, which you can see in the striped T-shirt and the cross-body bag below. A neutral palette with only one accent colour means every single piece below goes with every other piece.

When choosing accessories, you’ll need no more than two bags (one small and one large) and two pairs of shoes. Add pizzazz with a few other pieces, such as a statement necklace or a belt to cinch your blazer or a fuller top.

I styled eight outfits with these clothes and accessories, but you could probably throw together 10 to 12 ensembles without wearing any one piece of clothing more than three times.

There’s an outfit for everything: the plane ride, a fancy dinner, a day at the park and shopping and gallery-hopping. There are also options for hot afternoons and chilly evenings. You don’t need to own these exact pieces to make it work; just follow the basic guidelines above, choosing items by colour palette.

Sleep

How to recover from a bad sleep

Sleep

How to recover from a bad sleep

Try these tips to feel energized and awake even when you tossed and turned the night before.

Whether brought on by sick kids or the stress of a looming deadline, restless nights happen. Fortunately, it's possible to eat, drink and rest your way back from a sleepless night. Here's how to feel energetic and rested after a bad night's sleep.

Choose the right foods
Why does that doughnut look so very good when you're so very tired? "Sleep restriction has been clearly shown to increase appetite for calorie-dense foods," says Dr. Charles Samuels, founder and medical director at the Centre for Sleep and Human Performance in Calgary. Tara Maltman-Just, pharmacist and executive clinician at Vitality Integrative Medicine in Winnipeg, agrees. "After a night or two of sleep deprivation, we tend to go for things that will give us that instant energy surge: sugar, energy drinks, coffee, even carbohydrates," she says. "However, we'd be best served over the course of the day by making sure we're balancing each meal or snack with protein and a healthy fat."

If you're struggling to keep your eyes open, enjoy eggs with veggies for breakfast or a salad with nuts and avocado for lunch. That way, says Maltman-Just, "you give your body continuous good-quality energy that will release gradually."

Get to know joe
As caffeine-crazy Canadians, many of us can't get by without our morning (and afternoon) cups of joe. But consuming too much caffeine makes it less effective—even when we need it most, like after a long night spent tossing and turning.

To keep your brew working for you, reduce your daily caffeine consumption to one or two cups of coffee in the morning, says Dr. Samuels. "Then, interject caffeine where required," he says. "For instance, if you're sleep-deprived and need to be awake for a meeting that afternoon, that's the time you would use caffeine."

Nab a nap
Add some force to that caffeine kick by adding a 15- to 20-minute nap after you've downed a cup. "A nap is far more effective than caffeine, and a nap plus caffeine is most effective," explains Dr. Samuels. Because caffeine's alertness-boosting effect takes 30 to 60 minutes to peak, drinking a cup of coffee before snoozing will provide the benefits of a rejuvenating short stretch of sleep as well as a natural limit to the nap.

How to avoid a bad haircut

Beauty

How to avoid a bad haircut

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Bad haircuts are a fact of life. We all usually experience one at some point or another (and have the photographs to prove it). It’s often the result of a moment of daring or something getting lost in translation between you and your hairstylist. However you ended up with your less-than-stellar ’do, we want to help make sure it never happens again.

Be honest with yourself According to Dove celebrity stylist Mark Townsend, the number one mistake people make when getting a haircut is being unrealistic about their styling commitment. If you’ve been air-drying your hair for the past 10 years, chances are you won’t start to flatiron it daily. Pick a style you know you can—and will—replicate at home.

You are not the expert You may have heard certain rules when it comes to cutting hair, but that doesn’t make you an authority. Many customers try to give their hairstylists instructions on the technique to use when cutting their hair. According to Redken’s lead stylist, Jorge Joao, this is a big no-no. Remember that your stylist is the expert and has his or her own way of doing things, regardless of what you’ve heard is “right.”

Use simple language So what should you tell your stylist? Describe the style you want in clear terms. “When asking for a cut, keep it simple and try to use words that won’t confuse your message,” says Joao. “Sometimes, using trendy words or slang can give you a result you’re not looking for.”

Use visuals “Hairstylists are, by nature, visual creatures,” says Townsend. So have images—be they from magazines, the Internet, your personal collection or anywhere else—that will help convey the style you want. A picture really is worth 1,000 words.

Pick a stylist you trust Once you find a stylist who you mesh with and who understands your hair, stick with that person. “When you’re looking for a change, you should go to someone you trust,” says Joao. It’s OK to debate with your hairstylist about possible styles, but if you really don’t trust his or her judgment, it’s probably time to look elsewhere.

What to do if you still end up with something you don’t like Make sure you give your new cut some time. Sleeping on it for a day or two, washing your hair and styling it yourself—even asking friends for their opinions—are all good to do before deciding you don’t like your new ’do. “Honesty is the best policy,” says Townsend, “but saying what you mean and being mean are two different things.”

Beauty

These lip balms will make you forget dry, chapped lips

Beauty

These lip balms will make you forget dry, chapped lips

Cold temperatures and harsh winds can take a toll on your lips—and there is nothing sexy about a chapped mouth. The good news? Our favourite lip balms can help eliminate dry, sore and chapped lips. These affordable picks range from $4 to $32.